Advertising signboard structure



April 15, 1930. w. G. lIBROWNE ET AL 1,754,932

ADVERTISING SIGNBOARD STRUCTURE Filed Sept. l2, 1927 Patented Apr. 15,1930 Urrea STATES PATENT orrice WILLIAM Gr. BROWNE, OF YONKERS, NEWYORK, AND ROGR W. OLMSTED, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ADVERTISINGSIGNBOARD STRUCTURE Application filed September 12, 1927. Serial No.218,973.

This invention relates to advertising sign board structures and has foran object the provision of a structure for displaying posters and thelike, either in the form of a painted advertisement or one constitutedby a number of sheets, attached to the structure and eachcontainingsections of the advern tising matter, thecharacteristicfeatures of the invention being a plurality of panels, adapted to beassembled in abutting relation, within a suitable frame Worlr, topresent a flush surface to receive the poster, the panels being readilyremovable from the supporting structure, so that others may besubstituted or the entire structure may be dismantled and transferred toanother place for display.

Another object of the invention is to provide panels for the abovepurpose, each including a skeleton support or frame, preferably inade ofwood, and a sheet metal covering, said sheet metal being preferablyapplied to its frame in such a manner that when the panels are assembledwith their edges in abutting relation, the sheet metal portionssurrounding said edges are contiguous in the face plane of thestructure, and these sheet metal faces of said panels combine to form asmooth, substantially continuous surface throughout the portion of saidbody adapted to receive and display the advertising matter. Anotherobject of the invention is to provide such co-operating panels withmeans eX- tended across the joints between the panels, to render saidjoints Weather tight, said means being preferably spaced rearward fromthe plane of the face, so that the joining means does not interrupt thesmooth continuity of the display surface.

The above, and other objects of the invention, are illustrated anddescribed fully in the accompanying drawings and specification,

and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Figui is a view in front elevation, of an advertising sign boardstructure in the construction of which this invention is embodied, oneof the panels being shown in course of emplacement. 4

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of one of the component panels, takenseparately.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section on an enlarged scaleon the line 3-3 of F ig. l, showing portions of two of the panelsadjacent the joint therebetween, ready for assembly.

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4 4 of Fig. `il, showing the panelsassembled to complete a joint.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a sheet metal element for one of the panels.

In the now preferred form of the invention, selected for illustrationand description, the parts designated generally by the reference numerall are panels, of l which there may be any suitable number, and which, inpursuance of the invention are adapted to be assembled with their edgesin abutting relation, and to be thus supported in a suitable frame work,such as that indicated at 2, only enough of this frame work being shownto permit proper understanding of the manner in which the sign structureis assembled.

In Fig. l the lower margins of the panels are shown as placed in arecess 3 of a ledge 4, formed as part of the frame work, and their upperedges enter a similar recessed ledge 5 of the frame work, the recessedportion of the latter being suitably larger than the recess 3, so thatthe upper edges of the panels may be inserted first in the upperrecessed ledge 5, and then the lower edges of the panels may be movedrearwardly into registry with the lower recess 3 and dropped into thelatter. Thus the panels are supported in place without the need fordriving nails through their structure. j

If desired, a nail or screw may be inserted in the upper ledge above theedge of each panel, and upon removal of this nail or screw the panel maybe removed readily from the ledges by lifting the panel and withdrawingit forwardly and downwardly, the panel remaining intact, with itssection of advertising matter uninjured. This absence of nails is ofconsiderable importance when it is desired to make repeated use of thepanel structure in different places of display, as frequently isdesirable Vfor the reason that often the best places for display areupon vacant lots, near a railroad or highway, where gradually the vacantspaces are built up and so the advertising structures must be moved on.If the component panels are pierced by nails frequently, theirusefulness soon becomes impaired, and in any event the labor and timerequired for nailing panels in place and removing the nails frequentlyconstitutes a prohibitive item of expense.

Accordingly we have devisedl a special form of panel adapted to serveincombination with other similar panels to make up a sign board ofdesired area,each of thepanels being preferably so constructed that itcombines with adjacent panels to present a flush metal surface for theposter or other advertising matter, andof such structure that the jointsare weather-tight, and no special degre'e' o'f skill is required`v forassembling the structure.

For the above purpose, we prefer to make each panel in they form of afframe Work or skeleton of Wood' having longitudinal memgg bers 7 andcross members 8, suitably framed together, and upon each such frame workWe provide a covering 9 of sheet metal, the face of which extendsentirely across the frame Work, the margin of the metal covering foreach panel being formed' in such a manner as to overlap the edge of thewooden panel structure, presenting a clearly defined straight edgeadaptedAr to form in contact with the similer edge of acontiguouspanel avery close joint, so that the metal surface is practically continuousacross the entire area occupied by the panels;

For the better accomplishment of the above purpose, we prefer to relieveor cut away the edges of the longitudinal wood strips as shown at 10, sothat the metal can be bent inward somewhat, forming a straight edge forcontact with a: similar straight edge on the adjacent panel.

In further pursuance of the invention, we provide for closing each jointin such a manner as to make it weather-tight, so that the wrn'd'; cannotpass through from either side, nor wil-l rain be driven from the rearoutwa'rdly against the under surface of' the poster, causing the same tobe blistered-` and eventually ruined. 4

For this purposeI any suitable means may be adbpted and' as a nowpreferredl form oit such4 means we provide for so shaping the sheetmetal at the region of the joint as to constitute an effective seal, andthis may be conveniently accomplished by recessing one edge of eachpanel as at l1, and if desired forming a pro'ection'lQupon theco-operating edge` of an a jacent panel so that the metal portionsoverlapping the joints receive suitable support from the' walls of therecesses of the cto-operatingr edges.

The metal* sheets may he preformed tothe shape of their supportingframes, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and may then be slipped readily overthe ends of the frames and slid along into desired position.

W'e may form slots in the edges of the frame members 7, as at 13, toreceive portions of the sneet metal covering, so that the latter titssnugly at all points, being tree from sharp, projecting edges that areliable to injure workmen or posters, or are liable to be themselves bentout of place and so interfere with proper assembly ofthe panels.

le claim:

1. ln a structure for displaying posters and the like, a sectional bodycomprising a plurality of panels, each including a skeleton supporthaving side rails with rearwardlyv bevell-ed front edges, and al sheetmetal covering', said sheet metal being applied to each skeleton supportin such a manner that when said panels are assembled with their edges inabutting relation the sheet metal portions surround-ing said edges aredivergent and acutely contiguous in the face plane of the structure andthe sheetmetal faces of said panels combine toform a smooth,substantially continuous surface throughout the portion of said bodyadapted toreceive and display the poster or the like.

f2. In a structure for displaying posters and the like, a sectional bodycomprising a plurality of panels, each including a skeleton supporthaving side rails with rearwardly bevelled front edges, and a sheetmetal covering, said sheet metal being bent around the front edgesof'said rails in such a manner that when said pane-ls are assembled withtheir edges in abutting relation, the sheet metal portions surroundingsaid edges are divergent and acutely contiguous in the tace plane of thestructure and the sheet metal 'faces of said panels combine to form asmooth, substantially con tinuous surface throughout the portion of saidbody adapted to receive and display the poster or the like and each ofsaid panels having one of its rail parts formed with alateral projectionto-extend beyond its metal covered portion and across the joint with anadjacent panel', throughout the length of the joint.

3. A structure of they class described including a frame having sidestrips, there being a longitudinal tongue in the front of the outer sideof one side strip and in the rear of the outer side of the other sidestrip, each side strip having a' groove on its outer side at the baseVof the tongueand a smooth metal panel having inturned channel formingsido flanges embracing the front portions of thc side strips, said panelbeing slidable longitudinally of the strips into engagement therewith.

In witness whereof we have signed this specification.

VILLIAM G. BROVNE. ROGER W. OLMSTED.

